Our Work
Special Olympics was founded upon one simple notion: sport has an incredible capacity to transform lives, change attitudes and make communities stronger. By bringing people together, Special Olympics teaches us to recognize our similarities rather than focusing on our differences.
For 50 years, Special Olympics Canada has enriched the lives of Canadians with an intellectual or developmental disability – of all ages and skill levels – through the transformative power of sport.
Thousands of volunteers, coaches and officials across the country provide high-quality programming and services to Special Olympics athletes from age two to 70-plus, at both the recreational/community and competitive level.
Community and Youth Programs
Traditional and Unified Sports community programs take place at the local level. They are run by volunteer coaches and overseen by Provincial and Territorial Chapters. Unified Sports integrates individuals with and without intellectual or developmental disabilities on teams for sport training and competition to promote social engagement and development.
Active Start provides lessons for young athletes to learn the basic motor skills, and provides parents/caregivers with educational information and resources that allows them to participate in similar activities in the home environment. FUNdamentals is a continuation of the Active Start program for athletes with an intellectual disability ages 7-12, that transitions from basic movement skills to basic sport and physical literacy skills while maintaining an atmosphere of fun and meaningful interaction.
The Games
Special Olympics Canada National Games occur every two years alternating between Summer and Winter Games. These Games provide athletes with an intellectual disability an opportunity to showcase their talents and test their skills against their peers making competition fierce and exciting for spectators. The National Games serve as a qualifying event to be part of Special Olympics Team Canada to take part in the Special Olympics World Games.
Special Olympics World Games are the flagship event for the Special Olympics movement and take place every two years, alternating between Summer and Winter Games. The World Games feature more than a week of intense, yet inspiring, competition among thousands of athletes.
Health and Nutrition
The Healthy Athletes initiative is dedicated to providing health services and education to Special Olympics athletes, and changing the way health systems interact with people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Safe Sport
Special Olympics Canada recognizes our responsibility to prioritize creating a safe sport environment free of abuse, harassment or discrimination for all participants, including athletes, coaches, volunteers, officials, and administrators.
Research
Special Olympics Canada was rooted in research. From Dr. Hayden’s work in the early sixties to the continued findings that happen internationally, research has played a major role of the advancement and development of individuals with an intellectual disability, and the Special Olympics movement as a whole.
Building on previous work and areas of future interest Special Olympics Canada funds a research program annually to promote and support research activities within the academic field, while striving for further ways to service the athlete population. These research opportunities ultimately enhance athlete development and performance and can play a major role with coach development in Special Olympics.
Coach and Volunteer Development
Coaches and volunteers are the cornerstone of program delivery. As a result of this, Special Olympics Canada has developed a variety of education and training modules to help ensure coaches and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge and tools to deliver fun, safe, and developmentally appropriate programs.
Long Term Athlete Development
Special Olympics Canada provides Athlete Leadership Programs, which equip athletes with the tools to undertake positions of leadership within their community and the broader movement. The Long Term Athlete Development model is a framework aimed at developing physical literacy so that athletes remain active for life. Using a model based on age and stage of development, Long Term Athlete Development ensures coaches and volunteers are delivering programs that are developmentally appropriate for all athletes to excel in the sport(s) of their choice.
Official Sports and Rules
In order to create an environment that is beneficial for everyone involved, on both a competitive and personal level, we have taken great care in developing our rules and our process for placing each athlete in an appropriate group for competition (process called divisioning). This way, every athlete is able to participate and benefit from being active.